Are Indians in Western countries Thrifty and Smart or just Cheap and Misers?

Our government have this 'free ration for physically handicapped people' plan. For that one needs to show doctor's certificate and he/she becomes eligible for it. They got such certificate that their son is disabled and used to get free ration every month. For the son had a slightly 'squinted vision' (crossed eyes/ You know, the people who are looking at you, but seems like looking somewhere else because of slight non-alignment in eyes.)

 

omg ok ok ha ha.... free ration for squint eyes... lol...
that 10 paise ki orange sweet "juice" was soooooooooooooooooo hilarious.........

 

@ sweetshreya: a guy who is imployed trying to get free beer??? :cheers :rotfl:cheers great one , and yes we find these students everywhere.. but some people i know are already in business and seem to be so stucked with their former student life that they still live like that...

phhheeeew.. that candy stuff i know.. powder juice... yuk :bonk at least that is upto their taste but using government money when so many ppl who cud have better use and need for it? THAT i call cheap, indeed good example

@ Uttaran: :shhh: thank you sooo much, i thought im the only one here who found education about television in this thread :idea and i totally agree with this statement of yours "You look cheap to people above you! You look extravagant to people below you! (No matter what you do)", just what we think whom is above or below us or whom thinks he / she is above or below is lays in the eye of beholder...as everyone has its own outview on such terms

@ Rakhii..hhmmm have to try the deep dish one too... always went for the italian thin crusty style ones... where can i get some cheap once? :crazy

@ sdiva20: i loooove cheesecake, yummi... hhmmmm she must have been very hungry person then.. good that you tried to talk to her about that... even that going to sleep when im cooking continued until i started strike.. some people wont change.. if not even her tummy cud teach her a lesson after a whole tub of icecream :rotfldid you still continue to store things in common room?

@ mp1234: yes, maybe it was restricted to indians except newcomers etc. but the same people from the stories wont change after 3 or 4 years in europe (mostly), so its part of personality too, 1. guy woowoo.. silly behavior, really, second couple, next time they should not be invited or just simply everyone gets a plate and has to sit down until Prasad is being served, no Self Service Stations anymore.. being rude is sometimes the only remedy against rude people.

I think its not specifically indian genes to be cheap i saw and see many others like that too... its more a matter of personality and income... i saw indians who share more then people from other nationalities and i saw people like in all the above examples...

now i poured all my thoughts out and leaving my head empty as my purse... where was next free food station again? :bonk

 

:rotfl you are sitting right here at the best free food (for thought) station.... Indus Ladies. Buck up and post on other forums.

And as for free food (for stomach) station, you can come to my home. Only condition is that you cook for both of us. I'm feeling completely lazy today :rotfl

 

Hey i looove cooking so deal made but no complaining if you dont like :cheers

hhmm... but interesting thought.. brainfood is always better then others.. but then.... some good aloo paratha with curd n chutney..hhhmmmmm.. im so bad in resisting :bonk

just thought about what you said and YES in that sence im a cheap, i come here for free (thought) food arty

 

Haven't come across "cheap" indians a lot. But when I was doing my masters, another indian lady and I were planning to share the apartment. We met through our class facebook group even before the school started (she was in India then). She asked me to wait till she comes down to US to look for apartments.

I was also new to the city. So, as soon as she came I drove for 5 hours (from another city) for apartment hunting. I asked her to come directly to school so that we both can look for apartments nearby. She said her cousin (that was were she was living) is out and I need to pick her up (1 hour drive opposite side). I did and we roamed around for few hours looking for apartments and she totally changed her criteria after we met and wanted to look for only the ones that are within HER criteria. I was super pissed and said i'm leaving.

She created another drama that she is not feeling well and asked me to drop her back (another 1 hour drive opposite side.). I did and that was the last time I spoke to her. I drove back to my place (5 hour one way drive) at 11 PM without finding any apartment for me and she found one at my expense.

We stopped talking from then and after few months she came and asked me if I can drive her to another town (1 hour drive). I was surprised as we both didn't talk and she just asked me a favor. wow! heights of selfishness. I'd run away whenever I see her. In my last two years, I've never had to work with her for any of my team projects (happy happy!).:cheers

 

I think this thread is too generalizing.What a person does depends a lot on their upbringing as well.But one generalization what works for many is that in indian family upbringing,we have seen our parents save money for our better future.So the saving mentality is ingrained in us and it doesn't change since we are in a different country.for some having a sofa and dining table and a decent model car is a decent lifestyle and for some having a comforter is more than enough as they have other financial responsibilities back home.

Blame it on the increasing prices in India as well.Many people want to invest in a home or make other long term investments in India.To pay for that monthly interests and payments you need to save.And the saving methods differ among each person depending on what seems right for them.

 

I think you are being cheap when you can afford something but still don't like the millionaiers who take handicap benefits fot their squint eyed son.........such benefits should be left for genuinely poor people.

many a times we read threads where a husband will not even let his wife spend $ 10 as in his calculations that is
Rs 500+.that is being cheap.......we want to earn in dollars but spend in Ruppees ...........

here in Africa most of the people I know are expats. we get nice furnished apartments,cars etc from office.many time we hear about so & so who took the curtains when they left job or sold of office furniture (small things like coffee tables) ,sending drivers with office cars to far off markets to buy curry leaves........ that is being very cheap.....

students are notoriously money short & in a way I don't blame them to try to make ends meet by being thrifty ,still eating or using what doesn't belong to you is plain bad manners .